The article explores the growing issue of overtourism in popular destinations and its impact on local communities and the environment. It uses examples like Kyoto and Barcelona to highlight the challenges of managing increased tourist influx.
When Junichiro Koizumi – nicknamed “Lionheart” for his luxuriant mane – launched a campaign to double foreign visitor numbers to a recession-prone Japan, the former Japanese PM couldn’t have conceived that two decades later, the act of taming the increased tourism would become akin to wrestling a tiger.In 2000, Japan, devoid of any serious tourism promotion, received just four million international visitors in a country of nearly 127 million.
Japan’s previous prime minister, Fumio Kishida, had targeted 60 million tourists by 2030, a figure that has alarmed many Japanese about the rapid growth of inbound tourism. For Kyoto, Japan’s imperial capital until 1868, tourist numbers have become so onerous the normally docile Japan National Tourist Organisation in Australia recently appealed to Australians to consider visiting other parts of Japan. The appeal was symptomatic of a global condition in which too many tourists descend on too few iconic places while other destinations remain relatively unexplored.Previously, the syndrome was more of a European phenomenon. Cities such as Venice, Amsterdam, Prague and Dubrovnik have been among the most affected, but the problem has now spread to other continents. It’s become such a common issue (Rome was recently forced to regulate the overflowing volume of visitors to its Trevi Fountain), that 2025 is set to be a make-or-break year for tourism, an industry that arguably does far more good than harm. For cities like Kyoto, the breaking point appears to have been reached.When I was in Barcelona recently, albeit in the low season, I tried to heed the advice of anti-tourism activists – the ones who infamously campaign against the overcrowding of the once-charming city – and visited Girona. Less than 40 minutes by train from the saturated Catalan capital, it’s a pleasant and historic regional city that has also served as a location for the popular fantasy series Game of Thrones. Yet Girona appears on at least one 2025 “next must-visit cities” list, which means it could become a mini-Barcelona if its burghers aren’t ready to act before tourism numbers become so unmanageable that locals turn off tourism and turn on visitors
OVERTOURISM SUSTAINABLE TOURISM TRAVEL DESTINATIONS KYOTO BARCELONA GIRO
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